


Final Escort Duty

by LadyBlackRose



Category: Batman (Comics), Superman (Comics)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-19
Updated: 2011-05-19
Packaged: 2017-10-19 14:06:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/201690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyBlackRose/pseuds/LadyBlackRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ratings: PG<br/>Warnings: Major Character Death<br/>Word Count: 1,054<br/>Disclaimer: Any character you recognize probably belongs to DCU/Warner/whoever. I own nothing but the story and make no money off this story. I just enjoy sharing.<br/>Summary: One final duty to perform.<br/>A/N: Came to me just in time for Halloween 2010. That and I have a beloved patient making this journey. This is in memory of a feisty little lady who grew into my heart.<br/>Unbeta’ed so you point and I’ll correct.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Final Escort Duty

They never thought he would die. With his enhanced physiology, boundless enthusiasm and limitless energy source they never thought he could die, forever. I mean he’s been dead, a couple of times in the pass but he recovered…right?  
This is now our reality as Superman lies abed, dying.

The once robust hero who saved the world more times than can be counted now lies in his bed, surrounded by family and friends. Organ systems shutting down one by one as if they were packing up to leave this place, waiting for the last of them to let go.

His final Herculean task is complete, the once antagonists, always mistrusting, soon to be at war with each other now have a blossoming peace. An accord won through the shared hardship of war. The dread threat finally came, Earth and Krypton had to band together, make the stand and save their existence from those who would benefit from our collective deaths. The battle was fought and victory hard and costly won, so many precede him into death, foes, friends, loves…  
His son, a being of both worlds, is now the ambassador of this peace.  
He now knows that finally, he can rest.

At his bedside, Dick Grayson sits to his left, a place of honor for one who became a friend through the shared love they had for another, and who became a son through the shared grieving of his death. Kon-El sits on his honored right, son of his body through science, son of his heart through love.

Turning his head slowly to look at Kon, his now much too soft voice whispers, “I’m so sorry it took me so long to love you. When I first saw you…you looked so much like me but you had his intensity, determination, his eyes….I should have been so much better to you then,”

“No, no, I understand now, its okay, I mean you were just…you were just coming back from…why can’t we do that now! Why can’t we place you in one of those chambers or the Phantom Zone until….” Kon begs with shameless tears wetting his cheeks.

“Kon, my son, it’s your time now, my time is all gone. Take care of your family, our family. However I acted in the past, I am so proud of you now,” turning to his other son, Kal smiles. “He was so proud of you; you were the light of his life and mine.”

Stopping to catch his breath, Kal continues, “You wore the Spirit costume on Halloween, all black with the fedora and red scarf. It tickled him to no end you know. You didn’t see his eyes shine when he looked at you. I think he hoped you would have picked a dark uniform to work in but I knew that whatever you created, it would shine, just like you do…”

“I just bet you did Kal,” Dick answers through a throat thick with emotion. He had been told by the Kryptonian Physicians that as the body prepared to die memories would come up, be examined, and shared.

Kal-El, former Last Son of Krypton, former Chief Counsel to the United Sol III Senate, his chair now held by his son Kon-El, now lies in wait. Friends and family by his side having all said their personal goodbyes…wait.

One evening a strangely familiar odor wafts by Dick, it’s more the memory of an odor that he knows but just can’t place, especially now with Kal becoming restless in bed. Leaning forward Dick tries to sooth his other-father when he notices Kal’s brow and nose crinkle with amusement and eyes once so blue it made the sky weep open looking at nothing Dick can see.

“Hi!…I hoped…I knew you’d come.” Kal whispers as the Kryptonian Clerics quietly begin their final prayers. Kal blushes as handsomely as the shy young man he’d been in his heart his whole life. “Now?” *Blush* “Okay.”

Smiling a smile Dick has not seen in a long time, not seen since before Bruce died in his arms several years ago, Dick watched Superman, Clark Kent, Kal-El breath once before Clark’s smile seems to spread all over his body. Dick watches him breathe a second time and that body calms, stills. Dick watches Kal breathes a third and final time, forever.

Bowing his head Dick can feel the sobs rack Kon’s body as Tim holds him, comforting his husband. Roy walks up to hold Dick from behind while Barbara moves forward to offer her support.

“I’ve just watched my third father die!” Dick gasps as his own tears fall freely.  
Reaching out to perform one last duty for a man he’s known most of his life, Dick gently closes Kal eyes as the Clerics finish their prayer.

Suddenly Dick shivers as an icy hot sensation traveled through his body. It felt so strange, like someone he knew had just passed by. And that odor was back, the odor he feels he should know, whose identity is still tickling the back of his mind. Looking in the same direction Kal had last looked, in the direction of the icy hot, blazing cold temperature variations, Dick sees a blurring, a smudge in the air where now the odor emanates. And he remembers, it’s the smell of BVLGARI pour Homme ‘Soir’ and Kevlar, of Armani silk and leather, now mixing with the smell of sunshine and growing things and Clinique 'Happy' for Men.

Dick can feel his fathers turn to him and smile. He can all but see them turn to each other and laugh as they move on…together.

Sitting to Dick’s right Barbara asks. “Hey, you’ve got that Wise Romany Eyes thing going on, is everything okay?”

“Yes,” Dick answers voice thick with emotion, “everything is going to be just fine.”

“And when we make that final transition, when we are ready to lay down our heavy mortal loads, our soul’s mate comes from that place beyond, to escort us home.”  
Ancient Kryptonian Proverb


End file.
